| Eastlight Island Weyr |
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| Beasts: Here you can find all kinds of information about the creatures of Pern |
| Dragons Dragons will *very* rarely say another rider's name, and even then, only if their riders have been weyrmated for a *very* long time. Dragons are still quite big at birth. A green dragonet is about the size of a horse. A Gold egg may tower over all candidates, males and females. Dragons have horrible memory spans...about the length of a young child. Happy or sad events may be remembered with a feeling of happiness or sadness when they here a reference. Some dragons have better spans than others: some may remember up to two sevendays or so, while others would forget within five days. Only dragonets eat every day. Mostly, they eat every 3-6 days, depending on their size. Golds rise every 6-12 months, whereas greens rise every 6-10 months. At our weyr, a small number of greens are kept from chewing firestone in case of an emergancy, leaving us temporarily without a queen. There will be no more than 2 fertile greens here at one time. Otherwise, there will be no eggs from greens. No dragons will fly within their 1st 2 Turns of life. |
| Firelizards Firelizards are born close to full-size at birth. They may grow a couple of inches, and their features may become more defined. Flits don't talk. They're just not smart enough. Now and then an intelligent, older firelizard may pick up on a certain word if it is used repetedly throughout its lifespan. Flits mostly communicate through feelings or thoughts. Firelizards tend to rise on about the same schedule as dragons: greens every 6-10 months and Golds 6-12 months. There may occasionally be green clutches, but there will rarely be anything other than blues and greens, with a few browns or bronzes mixed in depending on the sire. Not all flits can be messengers. The hyper, uncontrolable ones and the sleepy, lazy ones will probably not be all that reliable. The largest population of firelizards in the Eastlight Islands is on Grand Dawn Island, with Southwind in second. |
| Whers Whers can fly only at night when the air is thicker. In certain climates, including the arid Southwind Island, they often can't fly at all. These guys are usually quite ugly and have stubby wings. It's nearly impossible to ride them, even during the night. Whers mate during "Runs," not Flights. Whers have the intelligence of a toddler. They won't even bother learning words most of the time. Images are more their style. Wher names *always* end in "sk" and their names are based on their handlers' name. The closer related to their handlers they are, the closer their names will be. For example, Sally can have Sask, or Salsk, or Sallsk. She will *not* have Sallysk, since her whole name is in the wher's. And Sallsk is closer to Sally than Sask. Whers choose their own names from their handlers' names. They "tell" their handler their name soon after birth, much like dragons. Whers, unlike any other Impressed creature on Pern, can switch bonds. If Sally were to die, Sask or Salsk might swich to Sally's friend. But Sallsk would most likely die too, since it was so close to Sally that it refuses to switch bonds. And if Sask were to switch to Taffy, her name might change to Task or Tafsk, although it would most likely not reach Taffsk. Whers are in abundence on Eastcastle Island. A population of them was found there in the wild when the islands were settled, and they still thrive there. They rarely approach the Hold though. The deep forests and mountains are their preference |
| Canines Canines come in all kinds of varieties. Breeds like the Bichon Frise or the Dalmation are not on Pern, but there may be a knee-height spotted canine, or a fuzzy white one that can sit in your lap. Canines are, for the most part, similar to those we have on Earth today. If you're writing up a character form with a canine, you can write somewhere on there, "In relation to the Terren Dalmation" if you'd like. Just don't go posting about your prized show Dali. There are no conformation shows on Pern. There are, however, agility, tracking, retrieving, or herding matches sometimes held at Gathers or for fun. Canines live a little longer on Pern than they do on Earth. Smaller dogs that would live up to 15 years or so may grow to reach 20 Turns. Bigger dogs that live to age 8 may reach 14 Turns. The term "dog" is not used anymore..."canine" is more accurate. On the other hand, "pup" or "puppy" are fine. |
| Felines Felines are a bit bigger on Pern than they are on Earth today. Don't forget, they roamed in the wild for a long while on the Southern Continent. Only in the last few Intervals have they been rediscovered. Same as canines, no breeds. There may be an orange and white striped feline or a tan one with a black face, but there aren't any Tabby's or Siamese Cats. Like with canines, "feline" is the more used term than "cat." "Kitten" is fine, but you'll rarely here the word "kitty," although it may exist. |
| Runners Runners are almost exactally the same as today. Size, intelligence, colors, and more have remained unchanged. Only certain breeds exist on Pern. All were derived from a few original breeds brought from Earth, like the Arabian for endurance, the Shire for strength, and the Thoroughbred for speed. A few sure-footed ponies like the Connemarra and some pacers like the Trakehner are also in there. But now on Pern, only the Drafts, the Pacers, and the Racers are the only remaining breed names. There are no more "horses" or "ponies" on Pern. They're all runners, with a lowercase "R." Runners with a capital "R" are rider-runner messenger teams. Runners come in three "genders." There are the males (stallions), the females (mares), and the geldings, or males that cannot reproduce. Geldings are refered to as "it" rather than "he." Runners flourish on Sunwave Island most, while bovines and other livestock are better off on Moonwave Island. |